[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 193 (Tuesday, October 6, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53645-53646]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-26755]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army
Notice of Availability for the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (DEIS) for the Disposal and Reuse of Fort Chaffee, Arkansas
AGENCY: Department of the Army, DOD.
ACTION: Notice of Availability.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) of 1969 and the President's Council on Environmental Quality,
the Army has prepared a DEIS for the disposal and reuse of Fort
Chaffee, Arkansas. The approved 1995 base closure and realignment
actions required by the Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990 (Pub.
L. 101-510), and subsequent actions in compliance with this law,
mandated the closure of Fort Chaffee. It is Department of Defense (DOD)
policy to dispose of property no longer needed by DOD.
[[Page 53646]]
Consequently, as a result of the mandated closure of Fort Chaffee, the
Army is disposing of excess property at Fort Chaffee.
DATES: The public comment period for the DEIS will end 45 days after
publication of the NOA in the Federal Register by the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA).
ADDRESSES: Questions and/or written comments regarding the DEIS or a
request for a copy of the document may be directed to Mr. Jim Ellis at
the Little Rock District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ATTN: CESWL-PL-
A), PO Box 867, Little Rock, AR 72203.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Jim Ellis at (501) 325-5033 or
telefax at (501) 324-5605.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The DEIS analyzes three disposal
alternatives: (1) The no action alternative, which entails maintaining
the property in caretaker status after closure; (2) the encumbered
disposal alternative, which entails transferring the property to future
owners with Army-imposed limitations or encumbrances on the future use
of the property; and (3) the unencumbered disposal alternative, which
entails transferring the property to future owners with fewer or no
Army-imposed restrictions on the future use of the property. The
preferred action identified in this DEIS is encumbered disposal of
excess property at Fort Chaffee. Based upon the analysis contained in
the DEIS, encumbrances and deed restrictions associated with the Army's
disposal actions for Fort Chaffee will be mitigation measures.
Planning for the reuse of the property to be disposed of is a
secondary action resulting from closure. The local community
established the Fort Chaffee Redeveloping Authority (FCRA) to produce a
reuse development plan for the surplus property. The impacts of reuse
are evaluated in terms of land use intensities. This reuse analysis is
based upon implementing one of three reuse alternatives, all of which
are based upon the FCRA reuse plan. The Army has not selected one of
these three reuse alternatives as the preferred action. Selection of
the preferred reuse plan is a decision that will be made by the FCRA.
Copies of the DEIS have been forwarded to the EPA, other Federal,
state, and local agencies; public officials; and organizations and
individuals who previously provided substantive comments in the EIS
scoping process. Copies of the DEIS are available for review at the
following libraries: Arkansas River Valley Regional Library, 501 N.
Front Street, Dardenelle, Arkansas 72834; Charleston Public Library,
501 Main Street, Charleston, Arkansas 72933; Clarksville Public
Library, 2 Taylor Circle, Clarksville, Arkansas 72830; Franklin County
Library, 407 W. Market, Ozark, Arkansas 72949; Fort Smith Public
Library, 61 S. 8th Street, Fort Smith, Arkansas 72901; Gattis--Logan
County Library, 100 E. Academy, Paris, Arkansas 72855; Logan County
Library, 419 N. Kennedy Street, Booneville, Arkansas 72927; Sebastion
County Library, 18 North Adair, Greenwood, Arkansas 72936; Van Buren
Public Library, 111 N. 12th Street, Van Buren, Arkansas 72956; Yell
County Library, 901 Atlanta Street, Danville, Arkansas 72833; and
Little Rock District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 700 West Capitol,
Little Rock, Arkansas 72201.
A public meeting will be held during the 45-day DEIS comment
period, to afford the public the opportunity to provide oral and
written comments on the DEIS. The location and time of the meeting will
be announced in local newspaper at least 15 days prior to the meeting.
Verbal comments made at the public meeting and written comments
received during the comment period will be used in the preparation of
the FEIS and ROD.
Dated: September 30, 1998.
Raymond J. Fatz,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Environment, Safety and
Occupational Health), OASA (I,L&E).
[FR Doc. 98-26755 Filed 10-5-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-08-M
